St John Fisher Catholic High School (Harrogate)

Infobox UK school
name = St John Fisher Catholic High School


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motto = "Truth and Justice"
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established = 1958
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type = Voluntary Aided School
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president =
head_label = Head Teacher
head = Mr P Jackson
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chair_label = Chair of Governors
chair = Mrs S Ambler
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street = Hookstone Drive
city = Harrogate
county = North Yorkshire
country = England
postcode = HG2 8PT
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enrollment = 1,300+
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free_label_1 = Email
Telephone
Fax
free_1 = [e-mail]
01423 887254
01423 881056
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website = http://www.sjfchs.org.uk/
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St John Fisher Catholic High School, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, is an 11-19 Catholic comprehensive school. It has developed steadily during the past 40 years to over 1,300 pupils. It provides a Christian education in the Roman Catholic tradition. The school serves the Catholic community in the Deanery of Harrogate and takes pupils from a wide catchment area.

Set in 22 acres of parkland on the south side of Harrogate and skirted by Hookstone Wood, the school’s elegant buildings are steeped in over a century of history and tradition. The attainment of Arts College status with its associated building programme has further enhanced the resources available to the pupils and the school has also recently been awarded Humanities status and is embarking upon a programme to develop this. In 2007 the school was labelled as "outstanding" in its Ofsted report.

History

The school buildings were first built in 1903 to hold a Catholic convent school under the Order of the Holy Child Jesus which moved from a building on Clarence Drive near Valley Gardens. The school was founded in 1958 on the site that is now the Area Education Office within the Harrogate High School campus. The school rapidly outgrew its facilities and moved to its current site on Hookstone Drive - using the buildings of the convent school although many sisters remained for some time to teach. The sisters of the Order of the Holy Child no longer teach at the school but maintain a convent over the road. The science and technology building (along with the current school hall) was built not long after this (opened 1978) and the school continued to grow in size and pupil numbers into the strong community it is today.

Notable alumni

*Andy O'Brien - Republic of Ireland international footballer. Although told he wasn't good enough to make it as a Professional footballer by one of the teachers, Mike Knowles, he went to have a successful career in the English Premiership with the likes of Bradford City, Newcastle United, Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers.Fact|date=April 2008

ixth Form

The school forms part of an associated sixth form with St. Aidan's C of E High School.

See also

Other schools dedicated to John Fisher in Britain are located in Dewsbury, Purley and Wigan

External links

* [http://www.sjfchs.org.uk School website]
* [http://www.matthewdingley.co.uk/sjfhistory/ Historic photos of the school]